By FRANCO PANIZO
Aron Johannsson could not have asked for a much better birthday.
Johannsson celebrated turning 23 in style on Sunday by adding to his impressive goal-scoring output for the season with a brace in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-2 draw vs. Feyenoord Rotterdam. Johannsson opened the scoring with a cool one-timed finish in the first half and converted an equalizing penalty kick in the 57th minute after AZ conceded twice in the opening moments of the second stanza. The U.S. Men’s National Team striker’s birthday brace gives him nine leagues goals and 14 across all competitions this season.
Fabian Johnson did not find the back of the net or celebrate a birthday, but he did make his much-anticipated return from a calf injury. Johnson came off the bench and played the second half of Hoffenheim’s 3-2 loss vs. Â Hertha Berlin on Saturday, snapping a run of four games of inactivity. The versatile Johnson last played in a draw vs. Schalke on Sept. 28.
More good news came out of England this weekend. Tim Ream continued his solid season with Bolton Wanderers by delivering a game-winning assist in a 3-1 victory over Millwall on Saturday and Brad Friedel made a rare start in goal for Tottenham in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday.
Here is how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton’s 0-0 draw vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday.
- Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 13 minutes in Sunderland’s 1-0 win vs. Manchester City on Sunday.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 3-3 draw vs. Swansea City on Sunday.
- Maurice Edu did not dress for Stoke City.
- Brek Shea did not dress for Stoke City.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Aston Villa’s 2-0 win vs. Cardiff City on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 loss vs. Newcastle United on Sunday.
Championship
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in Birmingham City’s 3-1 win vs. Huddersfield Town on Saturday. He is recovering from a thigh injury.
- Tim Ream started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in Bolton Wanderers’ 3-1 win vs. Millwall on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8GIJyhrc3Q?feature=player_embedded]
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Derby County’s 3-0 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. He is recovering from a calf injury.
- Eric Lichaj came off the bench and played 15 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 win vs. Leicester City on Saturday.
- Danny Williams did not dress in Reading’s 1-1 draw vs. Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. He is recovering from a foot injury.
- Oguchi Onyewu dressed but did not play in Queens Park Rangers’ 1-1 draw vs. Reading on Saturday.
- Duane Holmes dressed but did not play in Huddersfield Town’s 3-1 loss vs. Birmingham City on Saturday.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley came off the bench and played 57 minutes in AS Roma’s 1-1 draw vs. Sassuolo on Sunday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson came off the bench and played 45 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 3-2 loss vs. Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
- Joe Gyau did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s 3-1 loss vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.
- Michael Parkhurst did not dress in FC Augsburg’s 3-0 loss vs. Bayern Munich on Saturday.
- Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Schalke 04’s 3-1 win vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday.
- Steve Cherundolo dressed but did not play in Hannover 96′s 0-0 draw vs. TSV Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday.
- John Brooks dressed but did not play in Hertha Berlin’s 3-2 win vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday.
2. Bundesliga
- Alfredo Morales started and played 90 minutes in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 2-0 win vs. VfR Aalen on Friday.
- Andrew Wooten did not dress in Kaiserslautern’s 4-0 win vs. FSV Frankfurt on Friday.
- Bobby Wood came off the bench, played 18 minutes and received a yellow card in TSV 1860 Munich’s 1-0 win vs. Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.
FRANCE
- Alejandro Bedoya started and played 90 minutes in FC Nantes’ 3-0 win vs. Bordeaux on Sunday.
NETHERLANDS
- Aron Johannsson started, played 89 minutes, received a yellow card and scored TWO GOALS in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-2 draw vs. Feyenoord Rotterdam on Sunday.
RUSSIA
- Eugene Starikov did not dress in FK Tom’ Tomsk’s 2-0 win vs. Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 1-0 win vs. Racing Genk on Sunday.
DENMARK
- Conor O’Brien started and played 90 minutes in Odense BK’s 3-1 loss vs. FC Vestsjaelland on Sunday.
- Babajide Ogunbiyi started and played 90 minutes in Viborg FF’s 3-2 loss vs. FC Midtjylland on Friday.
- Mike Grella did not dress for Viborg FF.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started and played 74 minutes in Rapid Vienna’s 2-2 draw vs. SV Grodig on Saturday.
NORWAY
- Mix Diskerud started and played 90 minutes in Rosenborg BK’s 3-0 win vs. Lillestrom on Sunday.
- Josh Gatt did not dress in Molde FK’s 1-0 loss vs. IK Start on Sunday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Ben Spencer came off the bench and played 17 minutes for Molde FK.
- Ethan Horvath did not dress for Molde FK .
- Steve Clark started, played 90 minutes and scored an own goal in Honefoss BK’s 3-2 loss vs. Odd on Sunday.
MEXICO
- Michael Orozco started and played 90 minutes in Puebla’s 1-0 loss vs. Morelia on Saturday.
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 90 minutes for Puebla.
- Jose Torres came off the bench and played 13 minutes in Tigres UANL’s 1-0 win vs. Atlas on Saturday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress for Tigres UANL.
- Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 5-0 loss vs. Club Leon on Saturday.
- Paul Arriola came off the bench and played 36 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Herculez Gomez dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
- Joe Corona did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Joaquin Alonso Hernandez dressed but did not play in Monterrey’s 2-1 win vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Saturday.
BRAZIL
- Freddy Adu did not dress in Bahia’s 0-0 draw vs. Atletico MG on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? Eager to see the in-form Johannsson play in these upcoming USMNT friendlies? Think Johnson will help Hoffenheim go on a bit of a run now that he is back and healthy?
Share your thoughts below.
ream had to make up for his awful defending on that goal.
Unfortunately looked like Tim was also at fault on Millwall’s goal.
Whoa, was that Ben Spencer’s professional debut? I know I’m a detail nerd for noticing that, but hey, I’ll take that nugget of good news amongst all the DNDs.
i think he already played
Who knew Guy Pierce was a Soccer ref?
Does Lichaj deserve to be called up ahead of Chandler based on talent? Chandler continues to excel as a Bundesliga starter, whereas Lichaj is battling to see minutes in the Championship. Surely, Chandler was omitted because of questionable commitment to the team. If so, Klinsmann should state that to be the case instead of basing it on form and depth. Otherwise he can’t evaluate talent well and would explain why Agudelo was left behind for Wondolowski.
Idk if lichaj is struggling for time cause I know he played the full 90 for like the first 10 or so games. But if you off talent them obviously chandler is much better and deserves to be on the squad. I’d even go to say that chandler and Johnson are the best fullbacks in concacaf
If you go back through the last 6 AA Weekend Rewinds, and one mid-week rewind (maybe further, couldn’t spend more time going back while I’m at work), the only game Lichaj didn’t start and go 90 minutes was the one he missed due to yellow card accumulation. Also, while not having seen any of Chandler’s games, most reviews I have read say he has struggled. So I would disagree that Lichaj is battling to see minutes, as well as Chandler “excelling”.
As Nurnberg sit at the very bottom of the table I don’t if he can be excelling too much. At least no more then Cameron is at the moment and Klinsmann isn’t playing him at right back either.
Chandler is playing for the team that’s dead last in Bundesliga. I’m not sure there are any players on the team who are “excelling”.
Ream deserves some love for that pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVHCqCCaSYE
Bedoya with a nice overhead kick that sets up Nantes first goal, worth checking out
The bicycle shows Bedoya’s creativity and confidence these days which is something we NEED in the USMNT. I think he will play a key role in the World Cup!!
For me he is starting at RM.
But what about our lord ZEUSi
That AJ kid.
Wow. I’d give him 10 penalties a game.
Kljestan played 90 minutes and didn’t score. Uh, oh, he’s in a slump.
Genk got a red card early and just sat behind the ball going for a draw. Took Anderlecht awhile to find the goal.
There are a ton of DND’s in this report.
Yeah whats going on at Tijuana
Tijuana took a big hit when their Argentine coach, the one responsible for evaluating and bringing in, many of the American players, and had one of the best seasons for any Mexican team,left to coach one of the bigger team in SA. The new coach, I think,(and so do many in the TJ/Mexican press) does not really like American players. But TJ is “enjoying” one of it’s worse seasons ever in their short existence. Look for this new coach to be gone, should TJ not make the Liga MX playoffs, but hopefully not before the CCL playoff with the LA Galaxy (lol)
Wtf? Where does it ever say he Dosent like American players? Just cause he has different views as a coach and Dosent play your favorite players that makes prejudice?
Yeah Arriola was getting alot of minutes so I don’t know where that came from.
He has already been fired. They put it up on their website yesterday. They should look at Bruce Arena